Senate Environment & Public Works (EPW) Committee Chairman John Barrasso
(R-Wyo.) and Ranking Member Tom Carper (D-Del.) are scheduled to move
July 30 a bipartisan bill, entitled the America’s Transportation
Infrastructure Act (ATIA), out of their committee.
ATIA would authorize $287 billion in state
highway spending authority from Fiscal Years 2021 through 2025.
ARTBA staff has attended multiple briefings
with EPW committee staff, who shared some
details of the legislation. It includes:
Of the $287 billion in budget authority, 90 percent will be provided to
the states via formula;
A new $6 billion bridge program would be funded by a mix of Highway
Trust Fund and General Fund revenues;
New climate change and safety incentivization programs;
Additional streamlining provisions, including the codification of “One
Federal Decision”, the Trump administration executive order requiring
all agencies to work together on a single decision for environmental
project reviews;
Resources to build alternative fuel fueling stations along identified
corridors;
The EPW committee, which has jurisdiction over
most highway programs, is the first in either the House or Senate to
move forward on reauthorizing the 2015 FAST
Act surface transportation law, which expires Sept. 30, 2020.
The committee will also consider S. 1992, A bill to amend the
FAST Act to repeal a rescission of funds and 6
General Services Administration resolutions.
H.R. 3794 (Rep. Gosar for himself and Rep. Levin), To promote the
development of renewable energy on public lands, and for other
purposes. “Public Land Renewable Energy Development Act of 2019”
On Thursday, July 25, 2019 at 10:00 A.M. in room 1334 Longworth House
Office Building, the Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife (WOW)
will hold a legislative hearing on the following bills:
H.R.
335
(Rep. Mast), To require the Inter-Agency Task Force on Harmful Algal
Blooms and Hypoxia to develop a plan for reducing, mitigating, and
controlling harmful algal blooms and hypoxia in South Florida, and for
other purposes, “South Florida Clean Coastal Waters Act of 2019.”
H.R.
729
(Rep. Kilmer), To amend the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 to
authorize grants to Indian Tribes to further achievement of Tribal
coastal zone objectives, and for other purposes. “Tribal Coastal
Resiliency Act.”
H.R.
2185
(Rep. Holmes Norton), To amend the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972
to allow the District of Columbia to receive Federal funding under
such Act, and for other purposes. “District of Columbia Flood
Prevention Act of 2019.”
H.R.
3115
(Rep. Pallone), To direct the Administrator of the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration to make grants to State and local
governments and nongovernmental organizations for purposes of carrying
out climate-resilient living shoreline projects that protect coastal
communities by supporting ecosystem functions and habitats with the
use of natural materials and systems, and for other purposes. “Living
Shorelines Act of 2019.”
H.R.
3237
(Rep. Neguse), To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to
participate in the implementation of the Platte River Recovery
Implementation Program First Increment Extension for threatened and
endangered species in the Central and Lower Platte River Basin, and
for other purposes. “Platte River Recovery Implementation Program
Extension Act.”
H.R.
3510
(Rep. Harder), To amend the Water Resources Research Act of 1984 to
reauthorize grants for and require applied water supply research
regarding the water resources research and technology institutes
established under that Act. “Water Resources Research Amendments Act”
H.R.
3541
(Rep. Salud Carbajal), To amend the Coastal Zone Management Act of
1972 to require the Secretary of Commerce to establish a coastal
climate change adaptation preparedness and response program, and for
other purposes. “Coastal State Climate Preparedness Act.”
H.R.
3596
(Rep. Chellie Pingree), To amend the Coastal Zone Management Act of
1972 to establish a Working Waterfront Task Force and a working
waterfronts grant program, and for other purposes. “Keep America’s
Waterfronts Working Act.”
H.R.
3723
(Rep. Levin), To promote desalination project development and drought
resilience, and for other purposes. “Desalination Development Act.”
Background In October 2018, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC) released its Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C,
which examined the impacts of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C
versus 2°C above preindustrial levels. The report concluded that
avoiding the worst effects of climate change – including more frequent
extreme weather events, food and water insecurity, increases in
vector-borne diseases, and other public health problems – will require
limiting warming to 1.5°C. It further warned that countries have until
2030 to make “rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all
aspects of society” to avoid exceeding that threshold.
Despite this urgency, emissions continue to rise. In 2018, global carbon
dioxide (CO2) emissions increased 2.7 percent over the previous year – a
rate scientists have compared to a “speeding freight train.” In the
United States, economy-wide emissions increased between 1.5 and 2.5
percent in 2018, ending a three-year decline and marking the second
largest emissions increase since 2000. This contrasts sharply with the
goal of reducing U.S. emissions 1.2 percent annually through 2020, as
described in the first Nationally Determined Contribution submitted
under the Paris Agreement. The United States is now projected to reduce
emissions just 12 to 19 percent below 2005 levels by 2025, falling far
short of its initial 26 to 28 percent target.
Deep Decarbonization of the U.S. Economy
These trends run counter to the scientific consensus that deep,
sustained decarbonization is needed to avoid the worst effects of
climate change. According to the IPCC, global
CO2 emissions must peak by 2030 and reach
“net-zero” by 2050 to limit warming to 1.5°C by the end of the century
(or by 2070 to limit warming to 2°C by the end of the century). The
concept of net-zero emissions refers to balancing the amount of
greenhouse gases emitted and the amount removed from the atmosphere
through natural or technological means, commonly referred to as
“negative emissions” measures. The IPCC warned
that, in the absence of near-term climate action, “net negative”
emissions will eventually be required to limit warming to 1.5°C.
In 2016, two years before the IPCC identified
the need to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, the Obama Administration
released its Mid-Century Strategy for Deep Decarbonization. That
comprehensive plan aimed to reduce emissions 80 percent below 2005
levels by 2050, putting the U.S. on a path to reach net-zero emissions
soon thereafter. The IPCC report has since
made clear that countries must achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 – a
more aggressive schedule than originally outlined in the Mid-Century
Strategy.
Pathways to Deep Decarbonization
Research suggests that deep decarbonization of the U.S. economy will
require a multipronged approach, including: (1) transitioning to a
low-carbon electricity system; (2) reducing emissions from the
transportation, buildings, and industrial sectors; (3) deploying
negative emissions measures; and (4) reducing non-CO2 greenhouse gas
emissions. The United States already has a number of tools at its
disposal to chart a path towards net-zero emissions. Yet, policy action
and aggressive investment in low-carbon technologies will be needed to
increase the pace and decrease the cost of that process.
=== A. Reducing Emissions from the Power Sector ===
The power sector is both simpler and less expensive to decarbonize than
other sectors, securing its reputation as “the linchpin of efforts to
reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.” Over the coming decades,
however, the U.S. electricity system will confront the dual challenges
of meeting rising electricity demand while rapidly shifting to low- and
zero-carbon generation. The U.S. Energy Information Administration
projects that energy-related CO2 emissions
will decrease just 16.2 percent below 2005 levels by 2050. Reducing
energy-related CO2 emissions will be more
challenging and elusive in some sectors and processes than others.
Policy support will be needed to reduce barriers to decarbonization.
As electrification spreads across sectors and end-uses, overall
electricity supply may need to double by 2050. At the same time, the
carbon intensity of electricity generation would have to drop to at
least 90 percent of its current level to enable deep decarbonization.
Decarbonizing the power sector, therefore, will require a suite of
measures, including significant expansion of renewable energy capacity,
deployment of other low-carbon energy technologies, and improved energy
efficiency. According to the IPCC, renewables
could provide 63 to 81 percent of global electricity generation by 2100
without causing grid reliability issues or major cost increases.
Analyses by the Natural Resources Defense Council, Union of Concerned
Scientists, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have
similarly concluded that renewables can provide nearly 80 percent of
U.S. electricity generation by 2050. According to
NREL, today’s commercially available renewable
technologies are “more than adequate” to meet that target. Deep
decarbonization of the electricity system will also require some
combination of other low- or zero-carbon technologies, such as nuclear
power or carbon capture.
=== B. Reducing Emissions from Transportation, Buildings, and Industry
Direct emissions from transportation, commercial and residential
buildings, and industry together account for nearly two-thirds of U.S.
carbon pollution. Emissions from buildings and industry have remained
relatively flat since the mid-2000s, while emissions from transportation
have steadily increased since 2012 after several years of decline. Deep
decarbonization of these sectors will depend on large-scale
electrification, dramatic improvements in energy efficiency, and
development of new materials and processes.
In 2016, transportation surpassed the power sector as the leading source
of carbon pollution in the United States. Decarbonizing this sector will
involve steep emissions reductions across end-uses, including on-road
vehicles, shipping, aviation, and rail. Achieving those reductions will
require a variety of measures, such as increasing fuel efficiency,
shifting toward low-carbon fuels and vehicles, increasing public
transit, and reducing overall vehicle miles traveled.
In the buildings sector, electrification (i.e., switching from oil and
natural gas to electricity) and greater efficiency can dramatically
reduce emissions. By one estimate, efficiency improvements could reduce
U.S. electricity demand 16 percent by 2035, with savings largely driven
by reduced energy consumption in residential and commercial buildings.
Other estimates suggest that energy efficiency could reduce U.S. energy
consumption by as much as 30 percent by 2050.
Despite the potential for energy efficiency to reduce emissions across
sectors, the industrial sector remains very challenging to decarbonize.
This highly diverse sector – which includes chemicals, iron and steel,
cement production, and other energy-intensive industries – will require
industry- and process-specific measures to reduce emissions. These
measures may include, but are not limited to, efficiency improvements,
the use of new materials and processes, and switching to low-carbon
fuels and feedstocks.
=== Negative Emissions ===
Limiting warming to 1.5°C by the end of the century will require some
combination of nature-based (or “natural”) and technology-based carbon
sequestration and removal. Natural approaches include measures in the
agriculture, forestry, and other land use sectors to improve
CO2 capture and storage. For decades, U.S.
forests, grasslands, peat bogs and other lands have served as “carbon
sinks,” absorbing more CO2 than they emit.
Continued maintenance of these lands and management practices of
agricultural lands could offset up to 45 percent of U.S. emissions by
2050.
Technology-based approaches using carbon capture and storage (CCS)
involve sequestration and either storage or utilization of emissions.
The most mature of these approaches is bioenergy with
CSS, or BECCS, in
which CO2 is captured from facilities that
either combust biomass for electricity or convert biomass to fuels.
Other nascent approaches include direct air capture, in which
CO2 is captured from ambient air, and
installation of CCS technology at coaland
gas-fired power plants and some industrial facilities.
=== Reducing Non-CO2 Emissions ===
Deep decarbonization of the U.S. economy will also require mitigation of
non-CO2 emissions, which account for nearly one-fifth of U.S. emissions.
These highly potent greenhouse gases (including methane, nitrous oxide,
hydrofluorocarbons, and other fluorinated gases) are associated with a
diverse range of end-uses, from air conditioning to agriculture.
Reducing nonCO2 emissions will require improving monitoring, developing
cost-effective substitutes, furthering technological advances in
industrial processes, and other measures.
Witnesses
Karl
Hausker,
Senior Fellow, Climate Program, World Resources Institute
Rachel Cleetus, Policy Director, Climate and Energy Program, Union of
Concerned Scientists
Armond Cohen, Executive Director, Clean Air Task Force
Shannon Angielski, Executive Director, Carbon Utilization Research
Council
Last month, expert witnesses told us that the economic costs of climate
change
will be significant. But what will these costs look like for the
individuals, businesses, and communities facing severe coastal flooding
and storms, decreased agricultural productivity, increased health
threats, and national risks to security? To answer this question, on
July 24th, the House Budget Committee will hear testimony from five
expert witnesses on the impacts of climate change to coastal
communities, agricultural economies, public health, and national
security – and the implications for the federal budget.
Climate change puts millions of people at risk from coastal flooding and
storms — Coastal homes, businesses, infrastructure, and lives are
threatened by more intense hurricanes, increased flooding, saltwater
intrusion into freshwater supplies, and reduced fishery productivity.
More than 300,000 residential and commercial coastal properties , valued
at approximately $136 billion today, are projected to be at risk of
chronic tidal flooding by 2045 – even absent heavy rains or storms.
Major disasters related to hurricanes, severe storms, and flooding have
been getting worse, too. In the last three years, such disasters caused
more than 3,400 deaths in the United States, compared to less than 200
deaths over a similar period 35 years ago. By 2050, the risk of being
hit by a category 4 or 5 hurricane could increase by 275 percent from
1980 levels, and eight out of nine U.S. real estate companies are
already citing operational risks and costs from flooding and hurricanes
in their environmental disclosures. Cumulative damages to coastal
property from sea level rise and storm surge are projected to reach $3.6
trillion through 2100 unless we take action. The federal costs for flood
prevention, flood insurance, and disaster response will grow. Flood
insurance claims under the National Flood Insurance Program are already
increasing, with the six costliest years all occurring since 2005, and
federal spending on hurricane relief and recovery is projected to
increase 33 percent faster than the growth in the economy by 2075.
Climate change will further strain farmers and the agricultural economy
— The changing climate will lead to heat stress in plants and livestock,
reduced soil health and moisture, shifts in pollination, and greater
pressure from weeds, pests, and diseases. These changes will result in
declining crop yields and livestock and poultry productivity , increased
rates of crop failure, and reduced food nutrition. For example, hotter
temperatures and a doubling of water deficits by midcentury are expected
to reduce corn yields in Indiana by 16 to 20 percent, reduce soybean
yields by 9 to 11 percent, and double the number of livestock heat
stress days. The average inflation-adjusted price of crops is projected
to increase 20 percent by 2050 . Planting alternate crops, new farm and
soil management practices, and emerging technologies can help farmers
adapt but come at a cost for agricultural communities already under
significant financial pressure. The federal government will also absorb
additional costs. For example, climate change could increase crop
insurance costs for corn, soybeans, and wheat by 40 percent by 2080.
Climate change is the greatest public health challenge of the 21st
century — More than 90 health organizations have jointly identified
climate change as a public health emergency, and children, pregnant
women, older adults, outdoor workers, and low-income and marginalized
communities are disproportionately vulnerable. By midcentury, more than
90 million people in the United States – a 100-fold increase – will
experience 30 or more days with a heat index above 105°F in an average
year. Such extreme heat and heat waves will increase hospitalization for
heatstroke and cardiovascular, respiratory, and kidney disorders and
could cause thousands of deaths annually. Degraded air quality and
higher pollen concentrations will increase the incidence of respiratory
illnesses, heart attacks, asthma, and allergies. More people will be
exposed to infectious diseases transmitted by mosquitoes and ticks (such
as Zika and Lyme disease), toxic algal blooms, and waterborne diseases.
Cases of tickborne disease have already more than doubled from 2004 to
2016. Severe storms can disrupt critical healthcare systems and
infrastructure for months, as well as directly costing lives. The costs
to the public health system and federal programs such as Medicare and
Medicaid, although not yet quantified, are likely to be significant.
Climate change threatens defense readiness and stability around the
world — The intelligence community, senior defense officials, and
Department of Defense (DOD) strategies and plans have consistently
identified climate change as a national security challenge and threat
multiplier. U.S. military facilities, operations, and equipment are
vulnerable to storms, sea level rise, flooding, wildfires, and drought.
In just the last year, hurricane and flood damage to Camp Lejeune and
Tyndall and Offutt Air Force Bases will require $8.5 billion to repair –
and the DOD assesses that approximately
two-thirds of mission assurance priority installations are at risk.
Melting sea ice is opening the Arctic to increased competition with
Russia and China for natural resources and access to sea routes.
Globally, climate change will exacerbate food and water insecurity,
infectious disease outbreaks, natural resource scarcity, commodity price
shocks, economic distress and inequality, natural disaster severity, and
population displacement and migration. These in turn will increase the
risk of social unrest, political instability, and conflict abroad – and
increase the frequency, scale, complexity, and cost of future
DOD missions.
At this upcoming hearing, the Budget Committee will continue to examine
the challenges that climate change poses to the American people and
economy, building on its June
hearing
and looking more closely at specific sectors.
Witnesses
Georges C. Benjamin, M.D., Executive Director, American Public Health
Association
Stefani Millie Grant, Senior Manager for External Affairs and
Sustainability, Unilever
Rear Admiral Lower Half Ann C. Phillips, Special Assistant to the
Governor for Coastal Adaptation and Protection, Office of the Governor
of Virginia
Rich Powell, Executive Director, ClearPath
Rear Admiral Upper Half David W. Titley, Ph.D., Affiliate Professor of
Meteorology and of International Affairs, Department of Meteorology
and Atmospheric Science, The Pennsylvania State University
Dr. Louis W.
Uccellini,
Assistant Administrator for Weather Services, National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) And Director, National Weather
Service (NWS)
Dr. Hanadi
Rifai, PE, John
and Rebecca Moores Professor; Director, Environmental Engineering
Graduate Program; Associate Dean Research and Facilities, Director of
Hurricane Resilience Research Institute (HuRRI), University of Houston
Jim
Blackburn,
Co-Director, Severe Storm Prediction, Education and Evacuation from
Disasters (SSPEED) Center; Professor, Department of Civil and
Environmental Engineering, Rice University